Transmigrating to the Qi Cultivation Path, I became an outdated Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Chapter 113 Sea Moon Sword Technique [Daily subscription required]

He Sheng suddenly opened his eyes, his expression slightly grave.

Of course, the auspicious outcome was something to be happy about, but the later omens were not so good. That sword light was not just an ordinary ominous sign, but a sign of hidden misfortune!

This means that if he stays in the Moonlit Cloud Sect, potential dangers will slowly accumulate.

"Hidden culprit... sword light... unfamiliar sword intent..."

He Sheng's face darkened.

He originally thought that once he arrived at the Moonlit Cloud Sect, he could rest easy and focus on developing his skills.

Unexpectedly, this seemingly safe immortal sect harbored unknown dangers.

"Could they be from the Canxia lineage?" He Sheng's mind raced. "But I have no connection with the Canxia lineage. Why would they be hostile towards me?"

Or perhaps... this sword light wasn't aimed at me, but at the Shuiyue lineage, and I was merely an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire?

He Sheng racked his brains, thinking and thinking, but still couldn't figure it out.

He knew far too little about the inner workings of the Moonlit Cloud Sect, and based solely on a vague premonition, he had no way of determining the source of the ominous sign.

"Very well." He Sheng finally calmed himself down. "Since it's just a hidden culprit, it means there shouldn't be any problems in the short term."

Hidden omens are not necessarily imminent omens; in fact, they may not manifest for a long time. Excessive worry will only waste your energy and lead to internal conflict.

The most urgent tasks are to first establish a firm foothold and quickly understand the power structure within the Moon Glow Sect, so as to make the right decisions in the future.

Secondly, it is natural to sort out matters related to spiritual practice.

With this thought in mind, He Sheng turned his gaze to the water clock.

[True Water Refining Technique, Fourth Level (Beginner): 1/100]

(Total cultivation time: 7 years, 3 month and 21 days)

Before heading north, He Sheng mastered the "True Water Refining Technique" and then used the general cultivation time to raise it to the fourth level.

The first three steps of this method are not difficult, and the time rate is only 1.5, so the general time consumption is not much.

However, upon entering the fourth level, not only does the difficulty of cultivation increase dramatically, but the time efficiency also rises to 2.5, making it unsuitable to continue using the general cultivation time limit.

The first three levels of the "True Water Refining Technique" only require the body to be cleansed with first-grade spiritual water. The reason why the time required for the fourth level is greatly increased is because the requirement for spiritual water has been raised to second-grade.

I am currently at the Moonlit Clouds Sect, where the Lake Moonlit Water is abundant. I will use this spiritual water to cultivate the fourth level of the True Water Refinement Technique.

He Sheng knew that in order to successfully pass the stage of "Dragon and Tiger Embracing Evil" and "Unity of Essence, Qi and Spirit" when he formed his core again, body tempering was essential.

However, body tempering is not urgent; following the prescribed methods is sufficient.

The most important thing is to accumulate merit as soon as possible so that I can enter the Water Moon Blessed Land and see the "Water Moon Cave Void True Sword Manual".

Lin Yuejing had previously explained the merit system within the Moon Glow Sect in detail, so he had some understanding of it.

There are different levels of achievement.

"Minor merits" are essentially the internal currency of the Moon Glow Sect, and can be obtained by completing sect commissions and assigned tasks.

The disciples' benefits are also distributed based on minor merits. Even He Sheng, an outer sect elder, can receive two hundred minor merits a year as a basic benefit.

A thousand small merits can be exchanged for one great merit.

Great merit is the true hard currency within the Moon Glow Sect; it can be exchanged for cultivation materials of the third tier or higher, and can also be used to gain entry into the sect.

The qualification for training in a secret place can also be used to offset the number of mandatory tasks within the sect.

The Water Moon Langhuan Blessed Land, which He Sheng cherishes most, requires a full one hundred great merits to enter once. Each time, one can stay there for three days to comprehend the fundamental inheritance, including the "Water Moon Cave Void True Sword Technique".

One hundred major merits translate to one hundred thousand minor merits, which is not easy to accumulate.

He Sheng frowned slightly.

He had previously inquired with Lin Yuejing about whether he could exchange a sword for a minor skill.

Lin Yuejing's answer was affirmative. The swords that Ying Ruyue had bought from him were not given directly to the disciples, but were placed in the sect's treasury for the disciples to exchange for and use based on their merits.

The Cold Moon Arc Sword, one sword for every ten minor skills;

The Water Moon Sword, one hundred small merits for one sword;

As for the Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Sword, because it was a genuine [True Water] Dao artifact, Lin Yuejing spent two great merits to obtain it.

When He Sheng first heard the price, he was a little stunned because it was so different from what was usually priced elsewhere.

If placed in the Sitong Chamber of Commerce, the Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Sword, although a Dao artifact, could never be twenty times more expensive than the Water Moon Heart-to-Heart Sword.

To put it bluntly, the difference lies in the supply and demand environment, resulting in a completely different value logic between the merit-based system within the Moonlit Glow Sect and the external spirit stone market.

To be more specific, just like the cultivators coming and going in Yuanxia Immortal City, 99% of them are ancient cultivators of the Qi Refining Path. They have no need for Dao artifacts at all, but instead value high-quality magic artifacts more.

However, it's different for the high-ranking disciples of the immortal sects. The inner disciples of the Moon Glow Sect all cultivate the Qi-absorbing Divine Path technique. For them, a Dao artifact that matches their own attributes is better than ten or a hundred top-grade magic artifacts.

Because Dao artifacts can not only amplify attributes, but also greatly enhance their combat power.

At the same time, the innate spiritual energy contained within the Dao artifact also promotes their cultivation, allowing them to have a deeper understanding of cultivation techniques.

I originally planned to continue refining the Cold Moon Arc Sword and the Water Moon Heart Sword using the stacking refining method, but now it seems that if I want to accumulate 100,000 minor merits as soon as possible, I don't know when I'll be able to refine them using the stacking refining method.

The only way to quickly accumulate merit is to forge the Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Sword!

Although it takes about half a year to forge a Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Sword, one sword is worth two great achievements, and the gains far exceed those of forging the Cold Moon Arc Sword and the Water Moon Heart Sword.

Moreover, the Shuiyue lineage currently has dozens of inner disciples, most of whom are still not equipped with suitable Dao artifacts.

There's no worry about sales, at least in the short term.

Thinking of this, He Sheng recalled that when they were in Shangfu Immortal City, one of Lin Yuejing's requests was for He Sheng to forge two more Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Swords for her, and then, following the method of the Water Moon Heart-to-Heart Sword, to forge the three Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Swords into a complete set.

The Dao artifact.

He Sheng was genuinely taken aback when he first heard this.

He had never considered this direction before. After all, it would take half a year to forge a Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Sword. If the forging failed, more than a year of hard work plus three Dao artifacts would be wasted. This loss would be enough to make He Sheng feel heartbroken.

However, Lin Yuejing made it clear that even if the refining failed, she would bear all the losses herself, and He Sheng could just go ahead and try.

With someone willing to back him up, He Sheng carefully considered the matter and felt that this method seemed quite feasible. After all, the Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Sword was a set of restrictions made up of a thousand sword leaves, which was quite similar to the method of forging the Water Moon Heart Sword.

If further improvements can be made on this basis, it is not impossible to refine the three Thousand Waters Condensed Moon Swords into a more profound set of Dao artifacts.

If one could successfully refine it, regardless of its monetary value, the improvement in weapon-refining skills alone would be priceless.

He Sheng kept this matter in mind, planning to discuss it in detail with Lin Yuejing after he had gained a firm foothold.

Therefore, during my time at the Moonlit Clouds Sect, I should prioritize forging the Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Sword to gain merit.

The rest of the time is used to cultivate the "True Water Refining Form Technique," and if there is any extra time...

He Sheng flipped his palm and took out the jade slip containing the "Canglan Manual". He immersed his divine sense in it and quickly scanned it.

This technique truly lives up to its reputation as one of the four great inheritances of the Tianhe Sect. Its profoundness far surpasses that of the Qinglan Water Element Technique, and even the Jiangchao Dielang Technique is far inferior.

After a cursory examination, He Sheng also found the "Sea Moon Azure Wave Sword Formation" mentioned by Ying Ruyue. He originally intended to study it, but found that the sword formation was too profound and completely beyond his current level of understanding.

According to the cultivation method, the predecessor of the Sea Moon Azure Wave Sword Formation, the Overturning Sea Heaven Wave Formation, was already a fourth-order superior-grade formation. After being improved into a sword formation by the founder of the Water Moon lineage, it not only became more powerful, but also evolved into many profound mysteries.

But precisely because of this, He Sheng can't even understand it right now.

According to Master Shuiyue's commentary, to even begin to understand the Sea Moon Azure Wave Sword Formation, one must possess at least the skill of a second-tier high-grade formation master, along with a profound understanding of sword intent, before even scratching the surface.

This sword formation is extremely difficult to master, but as Ying Ruyue said, if one can master even a fraction of it, even just the basics, it will be a killing move comparable to a great divine power in the Core Formation stage.

However, the "Canglan Jue" does not involve the inheritance of formations, but instead describes the sword cultivation in great detail. For this reason, Master Shuiyue added a "Haiyue Sword Technique" to it.

This "Sea Moon Sword Technique" is recorded in great detail, with many annotations, and is quite similar to the "Thousand Illusions Water Shadow Technique" that He Sheng had previously obtained.

This sword technique is divided into five levels, each corresponding to a different realm of sword intent. It is quite similar to the "Moon in the Water" sword technique that He Ziyang deconstructed from the Water Moon Sword Token, but it is more complete and systematic.

The sword intent corresponding to this sword technique evolved step by step from the initial "Moon in the Water" to the final "Bright Moon Over the Vast Sea," progressing layer by layer and interlocking in a series of interconnected steps.

For He Sheng, no matter how mysterious the "Sea Moon Sword Technique" is, it ultimately does not escape the category of "technique". As long as he gets the basics down, he can improve it using the general training time.

The real challenge lies in array formation techniques. High-level immortal techniques are extremely time-consuming. He has invested over a hundred years of general cultivation time in weapon crafting, and he is only at the second-tier high-grade level now.

This is partly due to the slowness of the water refining method, but more importantly, high-level immortal arts are not easy to cultivate, as they require extremely high quality external objects.

Ying Ruyue gave me this "Canglan Manual" and emphasized the "Sea Moon Canglan Sword Formation". It is clear that she not only wanted me to comprehend swordsmanship and further improve my sword intent, but also had the intention of having me to cultivate the art of formations.

The Sea Moon Sword Technique is alright, but as for formations..."

Among Piao Ge's belongings is a formation inheritance given to him by Li Daoyun. With this inheritance, one can advance all the way to a third-tier low-grade formation master.

"We could first raise the formation master to the second-tier, lower grade, and then use the Water Shadow Avatar to cultivate formations to see if there's any improvement."

He Sheng glanced at the remaining general cultivation time.

[Current available total practice time: 40 years, 3 months, and 2 days]

He immediately had a thought and began to upgrade the formation.

[Tier 2 Low-Grade Array Master: 1/6000]

(Total practice time: 9 years, 2 months and 28 days)

After all that effort, he had spent over a decade on general cultivation, and there wasn't much left.

[Current available total training time: 24 years, 11 months, and 3 days]

Let's leave it at that for now. When I have more free time later, I'll learn the basics of the "Sea Moon Sword Technique" and then work on improving it.

He Sheng put away the jade slip and gradually clarified the key points of his future cultivation.

Refining weapons and exchanging them for merits is the top priority. During the water refining and purification process, the body is tempered with the "True Water Refining Technique". In addition, time is used to study the way of formations.

However, both forging the Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Sword and cultivating the True Water Refining Technique require a large amount of Lake Moon Bright Water...

He Sheng turned his gaze to the well in the middle of the lake. Although the well could produce a stable supply of Lake Moon Water, he knew that this output alone could not support the consumption.

We need to find a way to directly exchange spirit stones or magic coins for Lake Moon Water.

He Sheng was considering whether to visit the sect markets on Luoxing Continent when a strange voice came from outside his cave.

"Elder Xiang, I, Qi Wanhe, have come to pay a visit."

Qi Wanhe?

He Sheng remembered that Fang Yuelin had mentioned this person before, saying that he was an outer elder of the Canxia lineage, from the Qi family, one of the four major vassal families of the Yuexia Sect, and was a very important elder in the clan.

Why have the elders of the Canxia lineage come knocking on our door so quickly?

He Sheng's mind raced with thoughts, but a polite smile already graced his face as he strode through the central courtyard and personally opened the mansion gate.

Standing outside the door was a thin old man with white hair and beard, his face deeply lined with wrinkles, and his old eyes slightly narrowed, revealing a shrewdness that came from years of experience.

He wore a dark red elder's robe, with the Crimson Cloud Token, unique to the Canxia lineage, hanging at his waist. His aura was restrained and profound, clearly indicating that he was also at the Pseudo-Core Formation stage.

"I have long admired Elder Xiang's name. Seeing you today, I can see that you are indeed a man of extraordinary talent and bearing." Qi Wanhe bowed respectfully, his face beaming with a loud, booming voice that seemed quite out of place with his thin frame. "I apologize for any inconvenience caused by my unannounced visit, Elder Xiang."

"Not at all, Elder Qi, you're too kind." He Sheng stepped aside to let the man into the cave. "I'm new here, so I should have gone to..."

"Elder Xiang, you're being too polite," Qi Wanhe said after taking his seat, glancing around the main hall. He clicked his tongue in praise, "Although I am from the Canxia lineage, I know how much the Shuiyue lineage values ​​Elder Xiang. I hope Elder Xiang will take good care of me in the future."

Oh?

You, a local resident, need me, an outsider, to take care of you?

He Sheng didn't understand what Qi Wanhe meant, but he remained calm and simply smiled as he prepared the spiritual tea and fruits.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Qi Wanhe got straight to the point and explained his purpose.

"I came here today for two reasons. First, I wanted to get to know Elder Xiang. Since we are both outer sect elders, we will have to help each other out."

Secondly…” He stroked his beard and lowered his voice, “Elder Xiang, do you know that although the outer sect elders of our Moon Glow Sect are noble and respected, there are still some matters within the sect that require the elders to personally handle?”

He Sheng was new to the sect and unfamiliar with its internal workings, so he didn't readily express his opinion. He simply followed the conversation and said a few polite words such as "I hope Elder Qi will give me more guidance."

Seeing his attitude, Qi Wanhe was not in a hurry. He chatted for a while about the interactions between the Canxia and Shuiyue lineages, and then got up to take his leave.

The entire conversation lasted no more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and his words were so subtle that no one could discern his true intentions.

He Sheng saw the person off at the gate of the mansion, stood in the bamboo forest and watched the figure disappear into the distance before slowly withdrawing his gaze.

This Elder Qi is not easy to deal with.

He thought to himself.

This person appears warm and considerate, but in reality, every word they say is a test, yet somehow they manage to leave no room for any fault.

However heavy the responsibilities of an elder, I had to forge the Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Sword, and I had no time to spare.

Regarding this matter, I'm afraid I should discuss it with Ying Ruyue and Fang Yuelin.

He Sheng knew that Ying Ruyue had given him the position of outer sect elder to show that she valued him.

But in reality, he didn't think he was suited for this position, since water refining was quite grueling.

Once he made up his mind, He Sheng didn't think about it anymore. Just as he was about to turn around and go back to his residence, he heard footsteps coming from outside the bamboo forest again.

"Please wait, Elder!"

The person who arrived was Fang Yuelin.

But then they saw the head of the Water Moon lineage calmly walking through the bamboo forest.

And there were two teenagers with her beside her.

"Fang Zhangmai, this is..."

Fang Yuelin walked up to He Sheng and bowed to him before smiling and explaining, "Elder Xiang, Master said that since you have just entered the sect, it is inevitable that you will feel lonely living alone in this huge cave, and there is no one to serve you."

Just a few days ago, the various vassal families sent a batch of newly selected outstanding young men to the sect. I picked two clever ones to send here. How about keeping them by your side as attendants?

As she spoke, Fang Yuelin pushed the two children forward.

The two children, a boy and a girl, were about ten years old. They were wearing brand-new moon-white robes. Although their faces still had the childishness typical of children, they already had a certain composure of cultivators.

"This is Liu Jinnian."

Fang Yuelin pointed to the boy on the left.

The boy had thick eyebrows and big eyes, a slightly dark complexion, and was much stronger than his peers. His eyes were surprisingly bright, exuding a natural sharpness.

Upon hearing Fang Yuelin mention him, he immediately bowed and said in a loud voice, "Disciple Liu Jinnian greets Elder Xiang."

Despite his young age, he was very proper in his manners.

"This child has quite good aptitude, with top-grade spiritual roots in both the metal and earth elements."

The Liu family sent him to the clan hoping he could hone his skills within the sect for a few years and have a long and successful future.

As Fang Yuelin spoke, she pointed to the girl on the right.

The girl was a head shorter than Liu Jinnian. She was pretty with delicate features and her black hair was styled in two buns. She stood there quietly and looked quite well-behaved.

Her voice was soft but clear as she bowed: "Disciple Fang Mengling greets Elder Xiang."

"This girl is from a branch of my Fang family, and she has top-grade spiritual roots in both water and wood elements." Fang Yuelin said, her tone tinged with regret. "Unfortunately, although her spiritual roots are excellent, she is not destined for the [True Water] element and has no chance to become an inner disciple."

This girl is quite interested in weapon crafting; she learned some basics from several old weapon crafters when she was in the clan.

My master said that if Elder Xiang had a junior disciple with some skill in weapon crafting to assist her, it would save a lot of tedious work, which is why he asked me to bring her along.”

This was the first time He Sheng had encountered such a situation, but after hearing the explanation, he couldn't help but be secretly astonished.

The vassal families of this major immortal sect are truly outrageous. Sending disciples with top-grade spiritual roots to serve as servants—their resources are truly terrifying.

However, while inwardly complaining, He Sheng also knew that he couldn't refuse these two children. Despite Fang Yuelin's polite words, since Ying Ruyue's name was involved, there was no room for negotiation.

However, in the future, I will need to refine weapons and accumulate merit, as well as study the "True Water Refining Technique" and formations, so my time and energy will be extremely limited.

If one could have a trustworthy helper who could lend a hand, handle the preliminary spiritual material processing, and help with the low-level spiritual refining techniques, it would save a lot of trouble.

The only concern is whether having someone help will affect the calculation of the weapon-refining gains during the return time.

He Sheng couldn't help but glance at his palm.

[Tier 2 High-Grade Refiner: 301/12000]

(Total cultivation time: 42 years, 5 month and 4 days)

After advancing to the second-tier superior weapon refiner, he only refined one weapon, namely the Thousand Waters Condensing Moon Sword. Although it took a long time to refine this sword, his proficiency improved quite well, reaching 300 points.

Try it first, and if it doesn't work, then adjust it.

He Sheng quickly came up with a plan and said, "You've got a good idea of ​​the pulse diagnosis."

He Sheng did not refuse and readily accepted the two children.

He then looked at Fang Mengling and asked in a softer tone, "Since you've learned some basics of weapon crafting, do you know the difference between water-based and fire-based crafting?"

Fang Mengling was slightly taken aback, then pondered for a moment before carefully replying, "In response to the elder's question, the water refining method uses spiritual water to purify spiritual materials, taking advantage of its gentle and penetrating nature. It does not rely on force or brute force, but rather on meticulous detail."

Ordinary weapon forging primarily uses fire forging, because this method results in quick and efficient shaping.

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in He Sheng's eyes.

These words, spoken by an eleven or twelve-year-old girl, may seem somewhat like rote recitation, but the fact that she could remember these key points shows that she had indeed put in the effort in this area.

"Not bad." He nodded slightly. "Since you're so dedicated, you can follow me in refining weapons from now on."

Fang Mengling's eyes lit up, and she quickly bowed, "Thank you, Elder!"

Seeing this, Fang Yuelin became even more enthusiastic towards He Sheng.

After all, He Sheng took Fang Mengling in as a disciple and was willing to teach her weapon crafting, which meant that he had established a connection with the Fang family.

He Sheng keenly noticed Fang Yuelin's change in attitude and took the opportunity to inquire about the purchase of Lake Moon Bright Water. Only then did he learn that the Moon Glow Sect would export a considerable amount of Lake Moon Bright Water every year in exchange for sufficient spirit stones as reserves.

"Since Elder Xiang has a need for Lake Moon Water, I can decide to take three thousand drops of Lake Moon Water that is sold externally each year and sell them to Elder Xiang at a price of fifty spirit stones per drop. What do you think?"

Fang Yuelin was quite straightforward, and He Sheng naturally agreed.

After the two reached an agreement, Fang Yuelin took her leave with a sense of satisfaction.

He Sheng was quite satisfied, watching Fang Yuelin's departing figure, and thought to himself:

The three thousand drops of Lake Moon Bright Water each year, plus the water produced by the well in the center of my cave, should be enough to cover the consumption of forging the Thousand Water Condensed Moon Sword and cultivating the True Water Refining Technique.

Now I can focus on my cultivation.